Some brakes give a much bigger concussion blast than others.

I had a Kahntrol solutions brake on my 300winmag target rifle, and the concussion blast was so bad I had to take it off. I would shoot 50 rounds with it on and end up with a headache for the next 12+ hours ! Never mind the other folk around me LOL.
It did however reduce the recoil better than any other brake I use / used. Recoil with out it on this 300winmag is by no means hard since the rifle weights about 17 lbs, so I didn't mind taking it off. Now it's on my 243win rifle and the concussion isn't that bad compared to the 300winmag. And now the 243 has the same recoil as a 22LR, maybe even less !

here is a link to a good muzzle brake test which includes loudness along with all other things like reduced recoil and staying on target... A must read if considering a muzzle brake !

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/0...-test-results/

For hunting rifles it's absolutely unnecessary to put a muzzle brake on them in my opinion.